


The disappearence of H.N.

by karrenina



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: HalfGhoul!Hide, Mention of blood, Multi, OOC Eto tbh bc different background ya see, bc i love half ghouls, child!eto, diabolical laughter, he has risen, hm im actually quite pumped abt this, more characters will appear throughout the story, tags and ratings will also change af, there gonna be more half ghouls then youd expect
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-15 12:27:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5785300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karrenina/pseuds/karrenina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An AU where Kuzen and Ukina are raising Eto together (or try too), said child is questioning its existence way too much, roles are alterned - but will this change anything in the end?</p><p>Ratings/Tags will change as story progresses.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hertz 52

**Author's Note:**

> The title will make sense as the story progresses I swear - pls be patient.
> 
> Unrelated (or not so unrelated) Sidenote: Hertz 52 is the name of an apparent hunchback whos called to be the loneliest whale in the world, bc compared to his fellow species he sings far too high, so nobody is able to understand him. Some scientists are guessing it may be due to the fact that he's actually a finfish others consider he may be an unusual hybrid who cannot catch the right tune.  
> Even if he feels solitude at all one can only guess.

„No, you don't!“

 

With a clashing, sound the brush collided with the bathroom tiles on the floor.

 

„You don't understand me!“

„Listen Eto, it’s normal -“ started Ukina again, carefully kneeling down besides the abused tool to pick it up from the floor, tucking a few hairs out of its bristels.

 

„Normal?“ Eto interrupted. „What does normal even have to do with me? I'm not normal at all.“ , the girl continued her fit, kicking her legs out of frustration and sent the trashcan besides the stool she was sitting on flying.

 

„Not human and not ghoul. You can't understand me!“, she explained a little finger accusing stabbing in the direction of her mother.

„You don't understand me. _And you don't either_ “, she practically groweld at the man – her father – who dared so much as to peek with his head through the ajar door, worried by the noisy ruckus. She pouted, her still slightly chubby arms crossed in front of her chest.

 

„Well no child likes school. And you are a child after all“, the woman continued patiently.

„I’m not like them. They’re so stupid, I hate talking to them. Like, I could have better conversations with a piece of toast – at least it  won't talk stupid nonsense back  to me!“ Eto spoke through her clenched teeth.

 

„Eto you have to get along with your classmates. It may be hard at first but you will come to like it, trust me.“ Her father spoke up, giving her mother one of _those_ looks. Like she would just know a second meaning to it – understand it without saying. But Eto didnt. She didn't understand _that_ at all. She was not like them. They were unlike her. An angered snort came up her nose. Her hands curling into fists slowly as a pressuring feeling build up in her stomach filling her up and up more as if she was a balloon, expanding her skin until it felt slightly burning.

Them being in their secure bubble of _something_.

„You’re right, things are different for you then for us. But you are not neither but both. You belong to humans and ghouls!“

„Both? I belong to both? To these stupid human kids who can't even read? And how do I belong to ghouls? I never even met one and it is hard to tell you are actually one, dad!“ Eto spat at him.

„What are you even trying to do? Live like a human? Because pretending still won't make you one, sorry to break that to you! You won't even take me to a hunt. The only thing that makes this mess work for you is mom.“ With that she turned around to said woman, noticing spit was dripping down her chin from all the open mouthed screaming but she didn't care it wasn't like adults are taking children serious anyway, especially if they assumed them having a temper tantrum.

But she was not having one. And not giving them that.

„And you!“ She screeched. „Do you think this“ Eto pointed towards her own body. „Was a good idea? Do you think something special to be good? All the other kids are scared of me and if I ever smell a ghoul in public they would keep their kid closer to their side while I'm passing. What am I to you? A proof of love?“

One step forward, the woman actually stubled one back, eyes widened.

Eto stumbled a bit, her sight feeling a bit off, the lightening was suddenly way too bright, dust she didnt noticed before danced in a chaotic swirl everytime she released an erratic breath

Yeah should she be scared, that was what Eto was familiar with anyway. People backing away from her, because they just knew that she was different. Different from every other person.

„Great! That's such a great archivement – a wonder even! Look how i am completly different from everything ever seen before. A human mother, a ghoul father. Just great. But that’s it. That is literally it. You are the only people who appreciate me because my existence means something to you. But what about me? What should this mean to me? I am a monster. More of a monster than a ghoul even!“

Tears were burning in her eyes, the feeling thick feeling crawled up her throat. It was almost too much, she was too tiny for the size of this feeling.

She felt like bursting.

„I DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO BELONG TO!“

The words left her mouth and the feeling went with them.

At least she thought that, but suddenly it decided to coil down her neck into her upper back as if she pressed it against a heater.

 

She heard her father screaming her name.

 

Later that night, there were muted sobs muffled into Ukina’s shirt, still reaching Kuzen’s ears behind the closed door of his child’s bedroom.

Uncohorent apologies, between stuttered breaths, a lot of snot, tears and spit.

It wasn't pretty, Kuzen thought, but very human.

 

Eto clenched her fists into the fabric as if it was a lifeline.

Repeating the words of remorse again and again.

 

She felt so lonely while lying in her mothers warm embrace, like if she opened her eyes it just turned out to be sunshine faking warmth of a hug and not another person being there for her.

 

Everyone felt foreign to her.

She felt like an alien.

 

Nuzzling closer to Ukinas stomach, it felt somehow far away and unreal.  
Like an empty promise.

Like it wasn’t enough.

But it was enough to go by.

  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Kuzen looked absentmindly out of the window, rubbing freshly cleaned china dry, Eto’s desperate sobs still on the back of his mind.  
It was not a sound a six year old should be able to produce. Not with that hollow hopelessness.  
Regret kneaded the edge of his consciousness.  
Maybe they should have sent Eto to the kindergarden - but at the time the risk seemed to high to bring her too soon under human children without being able to handle her Kakugan properly, if she got excited. He may have been worried that she got behind her classmates later - that was before he witnessed how much of a fast learner she was. Almost too fast, though not suprising considering the intellect of her mother.  
And with how the things were going they would have to continue home schooling Eto. Not to imagine the danger of sending her into a public school after just releasing her Kagune for the first time - and that completly under uncontrolled circumstances.  
Young ghouls had to be introduced to the usage of their Kagune carefully -but … Kuzen struggled with that. Everytime he laid his eyes on his child he just saw Ukina in her and it all felt too soon. Far too soon.

And introducing her to other ghouls? It seemed so dangerous - she was still so tiny. Befriended ghouls? What if they spread the word about Eto. He couldn’t let it come to this. It was a suprise that they were able to keep her secret from V this far anyway.  
He also would make them confidants, what if he endangered them by showing them Eto? They also had families to look after.  
The other way around. He didn’t felt like having the heart to take the measures in his hands if someone freaked out upon seeing a One Eyed Ghoul. Also, it could endanger Ukina too, she was a human after all …  
  
With furrowed eyebrows, Kuzen put the plate he was currently supposed to be rubbing of to the side, not being able to manage the task at this moment. His stare lost somewhere in front of the window.  
A treetop, fresh green leaves illuminated by golden sunshine, in between some movement which turned out to be the work of a little bird brown bird - barely able to be distinguished from the greyish bark of the branch it was standing on, despite a little patch of red on its throat.  
He wondered if this bird hasn’t had to worry about a beloved person. How it was able to spread his wings so easily, flying away, letting itself fall onto the wind.  
If he had wings … his swings would be fixated on his back.  
They got away from V, they got Eto, but looming danger tightened chained up their chests, constricting their ribcages just a nodge before breaking. Enough to breathe.  
He saw those chains also on Eto yesterday, two of them connecting her to Ukina and him - but the rest dropping down into an unknown abyss.  
A link between the human and the ghoul world had seemed like an utopia.  
An eye to eye conversation.  
A child cherished by both sides.  
Maybe that was an idealistic dream.

Maybe there was a child chained up between two worlds. One on each arm.  
And while they were struggeling for dominance.

May torn apart.

There was a singsong in the air, the little bird raised it’s head and replied, before leaping out of the securing net of foliage of the crown into the airs empty arms. Untied, unlocked.  
He wondered where Eto would head to when she left her nest.  
Kuzen didn’t regret Eto at all.  
However he regretted only being able to present her a world that may have not been ready for her.  
  
“Kuzen”, Ukinas soft yet vibrant lively voice cut through his thoughts.  
Said man looked up to her with a questioning expression on his face. What could she want? Did she catched on him neglecting his duties?  
She gave a short nod towards a customer: “What does your nose say?”  
“My nose says the coffee beans layed an hour too long in the sun. I wouldn’t be able to distinguish an onion from a dog in this enviorement, thats the purpose of the cafe.”  
Netherless he followed the person - a seemingly quite young woman, maybe around Ukinas age - with his eyes. She scratched her cheek, looking around for a table, the other hand occupied with a thin necklace adoring her pale, swanlike neck.  
He gulped. When was the last time he ate?  
Kuzen practically felt the concerned look Ukina gave him.  
“Well …”, he began, only to interrupt himself with clearing his throat. “A first time customer.”  
There was salt filling the air around him, a drop of sweat running down his forehead. He was only mentioning it in a poor attempt to distract himself from the upcoming sour feeling in his stomach. She was the better observer anyway.  
“Not her. The kid.”  
Only then he noticed them. A thin child with pitch black hair, probably about Eto’s age. At first he hadn’t caught the slight tilt of it’s head towards them, side-eyeing the counter. As soon as he spotted it, it let slide its eyes away, as if it just happend to look at them by chance.

Versed.  
Suspiscious.

But … a child nonthless.

“Curious thing.” With an awkward chuckle he tried to shrugg it off.  
“That’s more than curiosity though”, she said, still looking at it. "Birds of a feather can smell each other.”  
A silent nod from his side, uncomfortably shifting from one feet to another. Ukina could be …  
“I don’t like the way it looks at us. Be sure that they won’t see Eto - ”  
How? Should he make sure of that? Eto was currently in the storage room, probably ... "organizing" the coffee breeds again.  
“If - ”, but before Ukina could finish what she wanted to say the woman who in the meantime found a table for herself and her child and waved at him, wanting to order something.  
  
While he prepared their order and when he arrived with the tea at the table they were occupying, he always felt some eyes on him, but was not able to determine whose it were. The woman was reading in a worn little book, not paying attention to her child. Said child was very still, it was almost odd. Eto always had to fidget in some way as if she was a reared toy, that wouldn’t stop moving until it ran out of battery.

Before he could attempt to put the cup down in front of the child it reached out its hands towards it, a timid smile on its rosy lips.  
A very nice one he had to admit, as innocent as a white rose that had yet to bloom.  
Automatically Kuzen smiled back, only to replace it with an irritated expression as the cup slipped through their fingers.  
Peppermint tea spilled all over the table and the cup fell down to the ground, shattering.  
“Ooh …” The child said.  
“Sou!”, The woman hissed unpleasantly. “Where are your manners?”  
With big eyes the child stared up to Kuzen. “I’m sorry, Mister.”  
Invisible nails seemed to scratch down his spine. Tenderly.  
The rush of his own pulse in his ears.  
What was this feeling?  
He laughed it off, suddenly the urgent feeling to get away from the table, reaching out for the shards in the hurry, before it dawned on him, that he shoud just get a broom as soon as one of the sharp edges touched his skin.  
  
Did he cut himself with them?

 _  
_ _Those eyes were still on him._

  
_Should_ he have cut himself with them?

  
_Piercing him._

  
Should they have been cutting him if he had human skin?

_Looming over him, eyes far too big._

  
Had his grasp been strong enough for that?  
  
_Was moving always this hard?_  
  
He had to get away from that table.  
  
_It was just a child._  
_It was just a child._  
_It was just a child._  
  
“Kuzen.” A whisper. Ukina.  
“Make sure they won’t come back.”

  
_Scary._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A six year old with too much depth but it's fiction so pls cut me some slack ;_;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took longer and got longer than I thought tbh. Big thank you to my beta here <3  
> Also The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is referenced a lot in this chapter, and i did a bit of free interpretation i believe so don't take it too seriously (since im awful at understanding messages behind stories).

Humming a little melody, Eto walked down the pavement flooded with golden sunlight. With a slight skip in her every step, she tried to only move through the shadows, pretending the brightly lit areas of the ground were on fire.

The warmth that filled the summer air was like breathing cotton, but still weirdly refreshing after spending yesterday entirely in the coffee storageroom. The different roasted, aromatic notes of coffeebeans that had yet to be brewed filling an entire room by themself always somehow felt comforting for her and washed away the dark clouds that filled her mind after the incedent in the bathroom two nights ago. Trying to differ all the different brands and which were the closest to dispire was a distracting task as it was rather difficult to her.

Today she asked to go to the bookstore one block away from their coffeeshop because they offered a new free brochure every first of every other month, which collected all the books which were about to released. She really loved books since memorizing kanjis came rather easy to her.  She got easily bored of a story – so she never read a book twice. A book filled with history was soon discarded into a corner of her bookshelf, as she got fed up with the human history rather quickly.

It was like hearing a broken record repeating the same sentence over and over again and she honestly started to wonder how humans actually archived world domination if they kept on doing the same mistakes for decades over centuries. She liked reading fictional stories better. Less for the concept of submerging into another world handled like a marionnete by a stranger who called themself an author, but to gather the words and morals the stories told so she could twist them around in her mind and spin another story out of it. She called it recycling.

Her father only gave her the green light to go out barely an hour before the stores closed, as he overviewed the patrols of the investigators in the ward. Eto has been told the rough concept of investigators did since a very young age, pretty much already when she was still learning how to speak.

She came abruptly to a halt, her singing stopping as she came across a transition between two buildings, leaving a gap of good three meters – an adamant obstacle – a river of imaginary fire. Eto scratched her cheek absentmindly. If she already had to give up her journey through the dangerous land of lava she might as well make a little divergence from her usual way to a lesser chosen path to the bookstore. It wasn't necerssarily a shortcut, just another way around a building so she would end up on the backside of the bookstore.

Shrugging she entered the new path, painted with the liquid gold of the sun, glaring at her, which felt almost stabbing at first, Eto felt like being blinded for a second, everything in sight flodded with white nothing.

Soon enough she came into another halt as she came along a small community playground and sighed, though out of longing or annoyence, she could not decide. Somehow the children, no matter how dense they seemed to her, attracted something in her, which bewildered her a bit.

But as soon as she acted on the feelings she couldnt really understand the children would stop playing and subconsciously step away from her. Sensing that she was different from them.

That wouldnt matter in the end though, Eto knew, while maturing the human children's  senses and natural perceptiveness would grow dull and giving her an easier way to blend in. For the moment however just by observing the they drew in their play she already noticed how they moved away from the side of the playground she was watching them from.

Suddenly feeling angered she was about to turn away when something in her peripheral vision caught her attention – or rather someone.

On a bright yellow painted bench sat a pale child with dark hair, which covered the left side of its face holding a thick book in their tiny hands which appeared to be so heavy it had to lie partly on its lap. In the side of all the frantic energy of the other children this child in particular, still like a painting, seemed almost surreal, but in Eto's mind the hazy movement of the playing children blurred into the background and suddenly … This child seemed like the only real one.

Before she knew what happend Eto was approaching the stranger with even strides like she was being controlled.

  


„Hi“, she pratically barked as she stood in front of them before thinking of any better. Then again - would she have known any better?

In response the other child sniffed as if its nose was stuffed, then calmly closed the book and looked up to her. „Oh well, hi.“

„Uhm“ Eto said awkwardly, focussing on a point beside her new acquaintance. How did one hold a conversation with another at this age, she mostly just talked to adults. What were the children talking about these days? Probably not the most recent work of Haruki Murakami. The girl fumbled a bit with the hem of the old shirt of Ukina she wore as a dress until she noticed the bag sitting beside the child, a cover of another book peeking out.

„The Little Prince?“ She read out automatically.

„Yes. Have you read it?“

Eto nodded shuffeling uncomfortable around with her feet. „Though I didn't like it.“

„How come? Oh, do you mind to sit down with me?“ They offered.

Immidiatly Eto followed suit, soon curiosly side-eyeing them, until she realized she had yet to answer a question.

„It felt too real.“ She furrowed her eyebrows together, picking at her knee with two fingers randomly to get out her nervous energy. „And I don't understand why he didn't bring another rose to his planet as a friend for his own rose.“

„Well that wouldn't have made him a rose either, would it?“

„But she was the only rose.“ She insisted.

„He was the only human too.“ They reminded her.

„Then … why did he return anyway, they were other humans on earth.“

„Because they were not his rose.“

„So?“

„As the fox said: It is the time with your rose that makes it so important.“

„I don't understand that part. One rose is just as well as the other.“

„Even if they were your parents?“

She thought a moment about it then shrugged.

„I guess anyone can call themself a parent. As long as they are the same as me. But the rose was no human, so the story was ridiculous to begin with.“

„If the rose had a human face would it change your opninion?“

„You mean like … a ghoul?“

„Hm ♪“ He hummed.

She gulped. An uncertain feeling settling in her stomach. When did it become so silent around them that she could her the low beating of her heart pumping her mixed blood through her veins? Since when had all the children left the playground exept them? When did the colours of the setting sun changed to a rich bloody orange?

„Like … you?“

They giggled, turning their head slowly towards her, their dark falling into their eyes, there was a mole under the visible eye which scelera was turning black.

„ _What do you see?_ “

She sat in the midst of a volcano.

 

* * *

  
“Eto?”  
The child looked up from the book it was currently occupied with, sitting on her bed between stacks of books, some of them almost as tall as herself. Sometimes she liked to lay down in the midst of them, looking up to the piles towering above her like skyscrapers, a city of books and herself the only inhabitant. Who needed the dirty grey or forced neon colors and ill smelling crowds of people, unable to keep your personal space to yourself without intruders, if you could have every imaginable landscape spread out in front of you immidiatly, always just a sentence away instead?

But just as well you could shut the pretty lies of the author up while closing the board. When it was not enough. When it was too much. Standing up and wrecking the buildings of words with a switft motion. If only people were books.

 

“Yes?”, she answered her father after a long pause, her mind still partly hanging onto the last passage she had just been reading.  
“You have a date this evening, do you remember Koito - san?” Eto did. She was good with remembering faces, whenever she was watching the bustle in their coffee shop Eto could already tell if the customer has been already in the shop before when she was present or not, when they were still standing in the door, the ring of the bell still not died away.  
Koito - san however was a frequent visitor, always having a chat with Kuzen and Ukina, sometimes Eto as well. The girl wondered if Koito - san was a ghoul but she could not say for sure so far.  
“Yes, she is the nice lady that comes every Thursday and every other Sunday.”  
“We had an agreement that she’d like to spend more time with you, as your babysitter”, Kuzen informed her.  
Eto shrugged. She guessed that was fine, as long as Koito - san did not demanded her attention over Eto’s books.

  


Her little green brush was still stuck in her unruly hair when the bell at the door of their apartment above the coffeeshop chimed. Eto stopped bothering with it for the sake of greeting Koito when she arrived or more simply witnissing it, as she also had an armful of books carrying with her, which she was reading while trying to tame her strands.  
At least making the effort to greet her verbally, she did not came further then the attempt, as her mouth was soon shut as another person followed Koito through the entrace.  
  
“Hello, Eto”, greeted Koito however cheerfully, putting her shoes of.  
“This is Miu - chan she is accompanying me today, I’m sure you two will get along.”  
This is a playdate, Eto realized. So she was one of those children. Second she noticed that Miu was already a teenager, probably in High School. Third Miu was a ghoul, there was no chance to miss her scent since it was still rich of shed human blood, probably not even a hours had passed since this girl had eaten.  
“That’s a nice way to say one’s taking their work home with them”, Miu grumbled.  
Koito, as she once told Eto, was working as something people called a social worker, which got her to deal a lot with various people, in addition to Miu. Eto concluded it was a good way not only coming into contact with others but especially encountering young ghouls living in the streets of Tokyo, which she new werent a rare occurance, since a lot of ghouls lost their relatives at a young age, because the species was hunted down by the so called investigators. An aggrevating chill ran down Etos spine. She didn’t wanted to go there.

Koito simply smiled Miu’s passive aggressive comment away, gesturing towards Kuzen and Ukina who were standing in the hall about to leave, which caused the teenager to greet the elders respectfully. Eto was standing awkwardly on the side of the scene not really aware what to make out of all of it.

“So Eto”, Koito spoke as soon as her parents were out of the door. “I already know that you like reading books, why don’t you sit down with Miu and read together - she has to do a lot of reading anyway, right Miu?”  
Miu looked as if somebody throw a slug at her but grumbled a confirmation anyways. Correcting the shoulder belt of her backpack she made her way to the dining table in the living area, watching the back of her pink hair Eto followed her suit.  
  
The child layed out her little staple of book she brought with her in front of her, having a hard time to choose one she was ready to give attention to, her eyes caught on her own copy of The Little Prince.

 

“ _Do you understand the prince?”_

_“In a way, I think I’m able to.”_

_“Do you understand that he left his rose behind?”_

_“I think there are reasons that can cause someone to leave their rose behind.”_

_“Well, they weren’t the same after all. It was not supposed to last.”_

_“Now, you won't let go of this, will you? Imagine the prince was a rose too, would you think otherwise then?”_

_“I … don’t think there is a rose quite like me.”_

 

“So uhh - what’s with that human?”  
Eto looked up to Miu, looking dazed for a moment. “What about her? She’s my mum.”  
“Your mum?”, Miu responded doubtfully. The little girl simply nodded.  
“You are a ghoul.” The other uttered slowly, as if reconsidering her words.  
“Well kind of. I guess. I don’t really have contact with them.” Eto spoke shimmying around a bit on her chair, starting to pick on her knee. “So am I one?”  
“And you eat …?”  
“Udon, well for today's lunch anyway.”  
“Just what are you trying to do?” Miu spoke clipped. The child furrowed her eyebrows uncertain if Miu was referring to her or her family.  
“Do you have any idea what it is to live like a ghoul? Having to kill? To eat beings who just look and think and feel like you?”  
“N-no but I-”  
“You don’t! And you know what? You shouldn’t! You should stay away from ghouls, you aren’t one of us. You are not a ghoul.”  
In a way Miu might have just slapped Eto as well, as speaking those words and it would have hurt her less.  
Because Eto thought she was right, but didn’t knew she needed to hear the opposite.  
She thought Miu was right, but didn’t knew Miu was just desperate.  
She thought Miu was right, but didn’t knew Miu just told her that because she had an opportunity the ghoul didn’t.  
A human life. A peaceful life, thats what Miu would have given for anything she had, although she didn’t had anything left at all.  
Miu thought it would be the only logical choice for Eto, not knowing there didn’t appear to be a place at all for the child.  
They just didn’t knew better, but that didn’t make it hurt any less.

 

* * *

 

It was still dark outside when she already sat in the midst of torn pages and a distorted spine of a book. She still didn't understand. She still didn't understand.

No matter how many times she tried it made no sense to her and made her angry.

No matter how many times she read the book its content wouldn't change.

Now it had. Pages lying scattered around in no order, they wouldn't make sense to anybody anymore.

Eto stared at the ceiling motionless. Maybe, she thought, she just didn't exist. Maybe she was the lie and not the books. She wondered what kind of story her life told. And if the reader were enjoying themselfs, though in any case it didn't matter, it wasn't real after all.

If anything she was just a phrase in between two paragraphs, written by an unreliable storyteller.

Humans and ghouls were the same. They both would not accept her, both not accept each other. And in this plot a lovestory with a human and a ghoul would sound so nice wouldn't it?

A little fairytale.

 

The girl looked down to the little fists in her lap clenching one page so hard as if it could choke the words and colours out of it. An illustration of the prince with his rose.

  


“ _Say, do you have a rose?”_

“ _I wouldn’t tell you if I did.”_

_“Do you want to keep it for yourself?”_

_“Not quite, you see if you want to destroy someone, the easiest way is to take away their rose. I don’t mind being destroyed, but I’d mind to lose my rose.”_

_“A rose has thorns.”_

_“No matter how strong your rose is, you want to protect it.“_

„ _How much?“_

_„Anyhow.“_

_„How hard?“_

_„Until -“_

  


A sudden ringing disturbed her train of thought, it was so startling that after silence had settled in again she thought she may had just fallen asleep for a second and imagined it. The clock besides her bedside table, which was immersed in the soft light of her bedsight lamp, read half past five in the morning, but she just had tossed and turned the entire night and couldn't have beared to stay in bed any longer.

However the quiet was cut short, this time by the tentative steps of Eto’s parents, accompanied by soft irratated mumbling.

 

„ … this hour.“ Her mother all but cursed.

„Maybe someone has an urgent need of food?“, Kuzen added for consideration.

„Unannounced?“ Eto almost sniggered at the tone of Ukinas voice. Almost.

„ ...“

„Thought as much, don't you think I'd know how ghoul hunger works after such a long time?“

„A fight?“

„And you think opening the door to a heavily injured ghoul at any hour would be a good idea because?“

„If they are in need...“

„Well, _I_ am in need of keeping my child and and her father safe.“

 

Their voices got out of her reach of hearing. Curiosly she carefully opened the door to the living area and started following them down to the back of the coffee shop, where delivery enterace was hiding at a corner.

 

„ … actually have a peephole?“

„Architecture is your concern now Ukina, seriously?“

„Might as well take the opportunity, plus we could tell who on earth is wanting our attention at this unholy hour.“

„We could just -“

„No.“

„So we came down here in the first place because?“

„I have to keep your sorry wits safe.“

He sighed. Mumbling: „I'm too old for this.“

„What was that?“

„ ...“

„No, don't you dare to touch the doorknob – you're doing this on prupose don't you, Grandpa?“

Kuzen honestly giggled in response.

„You're unbelievable! Now won't you come-“

 

Another unexpected noice interrupted her. A sound so out of place Eto could not even classify it for a few secods.

 

„Was that just a -?“ Little chiming noices started to errupt.

„Ukina what are you doing?“ Kuzen asked.

„Opening the door“, Ukina replied hastly, sounding strained.

„Didn't you just say that was not a good idea?“

„That’s the cry of a baby. I'm _not_ keeping a child out.“

„Ukina that is highly suspicious, you – _Ukina_!“

 

Motion came back to Eto when she crawled to peek around the corner.

 

„What in hell?“

„This is ...“

 

Annoyed, because her parents stood in the way from being able to see anything outside the door, Eto angled her head wildly from one side to another, to be able to get a peek outside from her current location.

As soon as she did she was on her legs rushing towards it. Both Ukina and Kuzen where apparently so in shock, that they didn't even stop her when she shoved through them to get near, not able to believe her eyes entirely.

 

In front of her stood a toddler, barely able to walk. The first thing she noticed was the expression of its eyes, highly attentive to a degree where it was almost eerie, but she paid no mind to that. There were droplets of blood dripping from its mouth, but the most strinking feature was one turned black scelera and red glowing pupil.

 

Eto fell down on her knees in front of the little child, having to touch it to make sure it was real.

 

It’s tiny fists were holding a note.

 

_His name is Hideyoshi. Please keep him safe, he is important to someone._

 

Something wet crossed her cheek and Eto wondered for a moment if she hit her head on the edge of the corner in the process, before she realized she was crying.

Her hands fled from his cheeks around his back, clumsily pressing him between her arms and helplessly clutching him to her chest, having no idea why. As little arms sneaked around her back in return, she broke out straight into wailing.

  


The sun was rising.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "And I was born at the same moment as the sun"- The rose in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's The Little Prince

**Author's Note:**

> Whoop that's it that is the first chapter. Get ready for more Eto next chapter aaaaaaaaaaaaand somebody else ♪ =3  
> Thanks for reading any kind of response would be as great as Nutella.


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